President Donald Trump may be trying to hide the White House from public view, according to a new report released Friday.
The Trump administration has been planning to construct new fences at the intersections of Pennsylvania Avenue with 15th and 17th streets NW, three anonymous sources told the Washington Post. Michael McGill, a former General Services Administration official, warned of a serious consequence.
“This would mean that residents and tourists alike would be unable to see the White House from any reasonable distance,” he said. “Especially if Trump plants more trees in the Park.”
The proposal marks an escalation in security measures that have long faced pushback from previous administrations concerned about the “perception of restricting public access to the White House,” the Post reported.
According to the report, “The National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, a pair of federal agencies that oversee design matters related to construction projects in the capital region, have historically reviewed major changes to the White House and its grounds. That process often can stretch months or years, although the commissions — which are now led by Trump allies — have rushed several of the president’s projects.”
While the Secret Service has previously suggested permanent fencing, those proposals were rejected over fears of appearing autocratic.
A White House official declined to comment directly on the fencing plans, offering only vague assurances that “conversations about improving campus security were ongoing” and that any projects would undergo “a review process.”
The Secret Service, tasked with providing personal security, had no comment.
Earlier this week, an enormous tarp printed to look like columns was draped over White House columns.
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